Emmanuel Macron And Marine Le Pen Set To Win First Round Of France’sPresidential Election

The preliminary results of France’s first round of presidentialelections are in, and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron is predictedto win with 23.7 percent of the vote. Far-right National Front leaderMarine Le Pen appears to be the runner-up with 21.7 percent and wouldface off against Macron in the second round if these figures hold.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon and conservative Republican partyleader Francois Fillon were narrowly edged out of the final round, bothwith an estimated 19.5 percent of the vote.

These numbers are early estimates released after polls closed at 8 p.m.local time, and official tallies will come later in the evening. Peoplearound the world are watching the election as a litmus test of just howinfluential the strains of populism and nationalism in Europe have become.